Give Me My Wings
by Anja Hoyl
Summary: The journey is coming to a close. Sakura holds the last feather in her hand. Glowing, silent, perfect. The last key to unlock her soul. It was in her hands, and all she had to do was take the final step, to put the key in the lock, and turn it.


**Give Me My Wings**

Glowing, silent, perfect. The last key to unlock her soul. It was in her hands, and all she had to do was take the final step, to put the key in the lock, and turn it.

Despite the fact that they had been working toward this moment for over two years now, she didn't feel like rushing. Instead, she gazed at the feather, the prize she, Fai, Kurogane, Mokona, Syaoran…Syaoran. The very name stopped her line of thought. It was he that had fought the hardest for the feathers. She knew that all too well, as did the others. They had watched him put his life on the line one too many times, for her, for her memories. It always pained her when he got hurt, but he was never willing to admit his suffering or give up. For that, she had grown to love him.

Love…it seemed familiar to her, yet so distant. It seemed to radiate from the feather in her hand.

She glanced up at Mokona from where she was kneeling. Mokona was sitting directly in front of her, and the two shared a secret smile.

_-------------------_

_"Mokona, I need you to do something for me," Sakura whispered as they walked to the hot spring. The world they were in was one that she had grown to like. Lush forests, sparkling oceans…and best of all the hot springs._

_"Mokona will always help Sakura-chan if Mokona can!" the little creature said cheerfully from Sakura's shoulder. Sakura smiled and Mokona jumped off her shoulder to one of the rocks around the hot springs. _

_The two had come alone, since Sakura needed a bath. Mokona came along as a signal for danger, and since they were within hearing range of the rest of the group, Mokona would call their attention if Sakura was in trouble. It was an arrangement that only Syaoran had difficulty with , since it meant Sakura was not in sight for him to protect._

_Sakura crouched before the rock, her green eyes glowing with some sort of secret. "Mokona, I would like to talk to the Dimension Witch."_

_-------------------_

Sakura smiled again as she glanced up at her travel companions. They all looked at her in anticipation. Fai had a huge grin on his face. He had noticed Sakura taking her time though, so he came over and kneeled next to her.

"Sakura-chan, don't be afraid. It is your memory. No matter what it is, we're here to help if it's something scary or ugly. I'm sure that you'll be fine."

They heard Kurogane snort. "We've battled tougher monsters before."

Sakura smiled at the blonde wizard and strong warrior. "I'm not afraid. I know which memory this feather has to be." Fai nodded as he got up and gave her room, to breath, to think, and put aside any hesitancy she still had.

Only Syaoran looked saddened at her final comment. He knew that she was expecting the feather to be her memories of him. He also knew that she would be sadly disappointed, since he had traded those memories for her life. He only hoped she would be able to forgive him one day for taking away a part of her which should have been hers to give, not his.

_-------------------_

_Mokona looked at Sakura curiously. "Sakura-chan wants to see the Dimension Witch?"_

_Sakura nodded, keeping her voice low. "Hai. Is that possible?"_

_Mokona pondered the request for a moment, then smiled brightly. "Yup! Mokona can let you talk to the Dimension Witch! Would Sakura-chan like Mokona to do so now?"_

_Sakura nodded. "Hai, but let's go further away from the others so they don't hear us." Mokona agreed quite willingly, and they walked further into the forest, well out of earshot of the group. Once they had reached a small clearing, Sakura knelt before Mokona. _

_"Mokona is ready," Mokona said, and started to glow. The image of the Dimension Witch appeared._

_"You have come to bargain with me, young one," she said, not as a question but a statement._

_"Hai," Sakura responded, nodding her head. _

_-------------------_

She felt ready now. Lifting the feather, she brought it slowly toward her.

"Hime!" the sound of Syaoran's voice made Sakura stop. He rushed over to her and knelt on one knee before her.

"What is it?" she asked, blinking in surprise. He had an almost pleading look on his face.

"Sakrua-hime…please, let me…I have to apologize before you do this."

Sakura's puzzlement was clear on her face. "Syaoran-kun?"

"Please, what you're expecting…whatever memories you think you'll get back now, might not be the ones you will," Syaoran said as he clasped one of Sakura's hands in his own, his eyes pleading with hers.

She held the feather in her free hand. A smile crept onto her lips.

_-------------------_

_The Dimension Witch smiled knowingly. "I was wondering when you would contact me."_

_Sakura looked at her hands, which were folded neatly in her lap. "Then…then you know what I am here for."_

_The Dimension Witch nodded her head. "You must know, however, that I cannot just give you what you want."_

_Sakura nodded. "Hai. I am not asking for you to give me what I want. I am willing to bargain."_

_The Dimension Witch gazed at the girl kneeling before her. "When I make a bargain, I need the most precious thing the person has in exchange for what they want."_

_Sakura blinked. The most precious thing to her was…"Is there not something else I can give you?"_

_"Things are not always easy my dear, not even for me," the Witch said. "You have put me into somewhat of a predicament. Mokona informed me that Fai told you Syaoran had exchanged your memories of him for your life. More specifically, it was the relationship he had with you that he exchanged. Now you ask for me to give you that relationship back. However," she paused. "The most precious thing to you is that very relationship. Now, how do you propose the bargain can work? I give you what you want in exchange for that very thing?"_

_Sakura frowned, not sure what to do._

_-------------------_

"Syaoran-kun," she said, and he looked into her eyes. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine. It is I who should be asking for your forgiveness." As she said this, she brought the feather to her chest, and it melted into her body.

"Hime!" he cried, but it was too late.

_-------------------_

_Sakura's eyes flashed as she looked up at the Witch. "Then take from me the next most precious thing. If you can't take Syaoran, then take…" she didn't know what was next._

_The Dimension Witch smiled, a bored smile. "I could. You have nearly all of your memories back, so you remember your brother, your Priest, your land, your people…your goal has been to get back to them, has it not? That is what is most important to you in your journey, going back to them."_

_Sakura stared at the Witch, understanding what she was asking for. "In return for my memories…"_

_"You could never go back to your world."_

_Sakrua brought her gaze back down to her hands. She had been fighting to get back home, to see her brother and people…she didn't think that was something she could give up, her home. _

_Her home…_

_-------------------_

"Hime, wait!" Syaoran managed to hold on to the very end of the feather before it completely melted together with the Princess. "Please, I have to tell you-" She cut him off, placing a finger on his lips, silencing any words he wanted to say. A smile graced her lips, and she wanted to do nothing more than throw herself at him, since some of the feather had already been absorbed, and she was starting to remember.

_-------------------_

_Sakura brought her gaze back up to the Witch, a determined look on her features. "My home is where Syaoran is," she said quietly. "I accept your bargain."_

_The Dimension Witch smiled and nodded. "You'll still have to search out the memories yourself. It is the last feather you need to find…."_

_Sakura nodded. "Hai."_

_-------------------_

He wanted to speak again. He started to open his mouth, but her finger increased it's pressure on his lips.

"Syaoran," she said gently, cutting him off, a serene look in her eyes. Without thinking, she leaned forward, and laid her lips on top of his, slipping her hand away.

Syaoran blinked rapidly at first, not quite sure if he was dreaming or if his Hime was in fact trying to kiss him. It then occurred to him that he should kiss back, so he closed his eyes and allowed himself to put pressure back onto Sakura's lips. No passion was kindled, no blazing heat ignited. The chaste kiss was not created for the purpose. Instead, both of them felt a calm go through them.

They pulled back, only millimetres from each others faces, ignoring the stunned looks of Mokona, Fai and Kurogane.

Something in Sakura's eyes calmed Syaoran, relaxed him. Little did he know what sacrifices his Hime made for him, or the great shock and happiness he was about to experience when he found out she could remember him.

He did not know any of this as she gently put her hand on top of his, as he slowly started to loosen his hold on the feather, and as she gently, almost silently, whispered, "Please Syaoran…Give me my wings."

_Disclaimer_

_I do not own the rights to Tsubasa Chronicle or any of the characters. That honour belongs to CLAMP, and I am simply a lowly author who can use these characters for my plots._


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